


Everybody Wants a Taste

by evrybodysdarlin



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: First Kiss, Jealousy, M/M, Oblivious Mako
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-12
Updated: 2015-10-12
Packaged: 2018-04-26 01:32:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4984762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evrybodysdarlin/pseuds/evrybodysdarlin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mako doesn't understand his reaction when he catches Prince Wu kissing someone else.  Why is he firebending involuntarily and eating his feelings? And why does everybody seem to think he and Wu are a thing?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Everybody Wants a Taste

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to OurImpavidHeroine for betaing this for me! 
> 
> The title is a quote from "Jealous" by Nick Jonas, because of course it is.

Mako showered after his sparring session with Wu. (If you could even call that a sparring session—it had consisted of nothing but Wu hitting the floor and wailing, Mako’s grandma yelling at him, and the whole damned crew persuading him to talk about his _past_ and his _feelings_. Ugh.)

When Mako emerged from the shower, he saw, to his surprise, that Wu had never come back to their suite. He had expected Wu to be in their room, complaining about Mako taking _his_ turn in the shower. Wu showered a ridiculous amount for someone who never did anything that made him sweat. Mako had expected him to be dying to wash off the stench of an actual physical activity like self-defense training.

Mako wandered back toward the gym. Could Wu still be drinking Grandma’s cherry-berry lemonade? It was pretty good, after all. He could be on his third glass or something.

When Mako stepped through the doorway of the gym, though, he didn’t see Wu drinking any lemonade.

He saw Wu, sitting down in the middle of the gym mats, kissing Tu.

“Oh! Uhhh…sorry?” Mako blurted out weakly. Wu and Tu jumped apart, Tu’s hand still lingering on Wu’s cheek. Wu looked surprised by the interruption. Tu looked smugly satisfied. 

Mako felt like he was in shock. No other words would come out. He wheeled around and walked back toward his suite, striding robotically like one of Varrick’s inventions. 

When Mako was finally back in his room, behind closed doors, the shock finally receded…and was replaced by anger so intense that it made him shake and fill his palms with fire involuntarily. He wasn’t even sure who the anger was aiming for. Who would draw his fire if they were here, and if he couldn’t get himself back under control?

He honestly felt furious at both of them. Tu was his _cousin_ and Wu was his…Wu. His Wu. Well, he was kind of his friend, right? His bro. And as Mako’s bro, it was clearly a violation of bro code to make out with Mako’s cousin. And…it must be against some kind of police code for Tu to take advantage of Mako’s position by kissing his vulnerable personal security charge. There must be a rule about that. He’d ask Beifong. Wait, no he totally wouldn’t, because he never wanted to speak the disgusting words “Wu was kissing Tu” aloud.

Wu and Tu. Ridiculous! Even their names together were ridiculous.

They would be a horrible couple, honestly. They’d drive each other crazy. They’d both want to be the center of attention and the driving force of conversation all the time. They’d kill each other within a week. And Tu would never put up with Wu’s fancy rich boy ways. He made fun of Mako for wearing shoes, for spirits’ sake. Also, Tu had horrible table manners, and Wu would definitely get upset about that. He put his napkin on his lap at street noodle joints.

_How could they be kissing?_

Mako threw himself down onto his bed, face first. 

Despite Wu’s bragging about his ways with the ladies, Mako had never seen him so much as successfully hold hands with a girl. Or boy. Or anyone. (Except for that one time he got scared of the big burst of fire on the grill at the shichirin restaurant and grabbed Mako’s hand. That had been weird.) Mako just hadn’t been prepared to see Wu locked in an embrace with someone. Especially his own cousin. His own dumbass cousin.

The sound of the suite’s front door swinging open broke through Mako’s misery. It must be Wu, coming back. 

Suddenly, Mako couldn’t stand the thought of talking to Wu. What if Wu started gushing about Tu’s charms? It would just be too gross. Mako had to escape.

To his relief, Mako heard the sound of another door slamming—the bathroom door. Wu wasn’t trying to come into Mako’s own little room. Mako made his escape while he could, sneaking past the bathroom as he heard the shower water turn on. Had Wu been doing…sweaty activities with Tu? _No, no, don’t think about it…_

Mako successfully managed to sneak into the hallway without Wu emerging from the bathroom. Once he was out of their suite, though, Mako wasn’t sure where to go. His usual retreat was the gym, but that room was now tainted by horrific memories. Maybe the kitchen? It was the middle of the afternoon, so nobody should be in there. Grandma had dismissed Asami’s personal chef, insisting that she and Chow could easily cook for everyone, but they didn’t usually start dinner until closer to 4 o’clock.

But when Mako walked quietly into the kitchen, all prepared to have some alone time and eat his feelings, Grandma was already there. Mako turned, prepared to sneak back out, but Grandma had spotted him.

“Mako! Come here, dear! Try one of these dumplings. I’m trying to make the perfect batch for the prince.”

“Ugh!” Mako blurted out involuntarily.

“You don’t like my dumplings?” Grandma asked in a voice half trembling, half angry.

“No! I mean, yes, I love them! It’s not the dumplings. It’s just…the prince. Ugh!” Mako reached out and accepted the slotted spoon Grandma was holding, carefully popping the steaming hot dumpling into his mouth.

“Complaining about the crown aloud? Shameful, Mako!”

Mako sighed and had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes at Grandma’s overblown reverence for the throne. “It’s not because he’s royalty. It’s because he’s so…so…I don’t even know.”

“I thought you and Prince Wu were getting along better lately, dear. You were certainly talking to him enough this afternoon.”

“He was kissing Tu, okay?” Mako spat out. “I went into the gym after we were sparring and he was in there kissing Tu! What the hell? Who even does that?”

Grandma looked gratifyingly surprised. “Well, that is…unexpected!”

“I know, right? I was so freaked out.”

“It is pretty special that my own grandson was kissing the crown prince…”

“Ew! No! Grandma! I don’t even think I can talk to you right now.”

“Listen, dear, you didn’t let me finish. While I approve of the fact that my own flesh and blood is canoodling with royalty…why was it Tu and not you?”

“Wh…what?”

“Everybody knows that Prince Wu is in love with you. Why, I’ve already been planning the wedding banquet menu!”

“That’s not…that can’t be true.” Mako’s mind started spinning. Why would anyone even think that Wu was in love with him? In love with _annoying_ him, maybe. But, despite his knee-jerk protests, other thoughts started filtering into his mind. Wu grabbing his arm everywhere they went. Wu wanting to meet his friends. Wu complimenting him all the time—“What would I ever do without you?” Wu asking for his life story. Wu wanting Mako to stay with him forever. Oh. _Oh._

“Of course it is. He loves you and I thought that eventually you would realize that you love him back and things would work out nicely. But if he was kissing Tu, I just don’t know what to think anymore.”

Was all of Wu’s weirdness his own way of being affectionate? And if so…what the hell did Mako think of all that?

“I don’t want him kissing Tu,” Mako blurted out aloud.

“Of course you don’t. In fact, I should think you’d be very angry! But then, you’ve never laid any claim on the prince, have you? He can do what he likes…”

“Grandma, you’re really giving me a rough time today.” Mako really didn’t understand women. Any women.

Just then, the last person Mako wanted to see entered the kitchen.

“Tu! What’s this I hear about you kissing Prince Wu?” Grandma demanded loudly. _Way to take the gemsbok bull by the horns, Grandma._

“Grandma! I don’t kiss and tell.” Tu made a disgustingly coy expression that looked out of place on his ruddy face.

“Well, you’d better tell this time, Mister,” Grandma hissed, grabbing Tu by his shirt collar. Tu’s expression quickly changed to a look of shock. “You’ve really upset Mako.”

Tu laughed. “Oh I have, have I? I thought so.”

Mako gritted his teeth. Was everyone in the world really convinced that he and Wu were a thing?

“Tu, just tell me why you two were kissing. It’s freaking me out. Come on, man.”

Tu sighed. “You’re all making such a big deal out of this. Haven’t you ever heard of a little casual kissing between friends?”

“No!” Mako growled.

“Yes,” Grandma answered calmly.

“Ugh! Grandma!” Mako yelped.

“Let him finish.”

“I was talking to Wu after you left, Mako, and he started telling me how he was a little jealous that you had the Avatar and an heiress fighting over you. And he told me…well, maybe it was supposed to be a secret.”

“Tu!”

“Okay, fine, he told me that he’d never kissed anyone before. He was all shy and embarrassed because he’d never been kissed. And I told him that when he did find a special girl…or guy…that they would think it was pretty weird that he was eighteen and had never even gotten a little smooch.”

“Oh, that’s real supportive of you, Tu. Very nice.” Poor Wu. He could be pretty insecure under all of his bravado. He really did think that he was the spirits’ gift to music, fashion, and the art of dance, and he loved being royalty, but Mako could tell that he got lonely sometimes. He must have felt like crap when Tu confirmed his fears that he was a romantic loser. Stupid Tu. Mako already knew that he had been a player of the Lower Ring. A lot of people were happy to hook up with a guy who was built and owned his own fruit stand.

“So, I told him that if he wanted, I could take that burden off of his hands for him.”

“Was that really how you phrased it? Gross!” Mako grimaced.

“Hey, it worked. He told me that he might as well get some practice. Not that he really needed it. He’s a natural. I wouldn’t have even thought that he’d never…”

“I don’t need a play-by-play! Stop!” Mako covered his ears. Thinking about Wu kissing made him all fidgety inside. Thinking about Wu kissing _Tu_ made him feel ready to burn Tu up like a shish kabob. 

“Why don’t you just go talk to Wu about this? He’s your friend, right?”

“I mean, I guess so. Friend-ish.”

“So go talk to him! I don’t see why you’re so upset about this, anyway.”

Mako didn’t want to delve into that, especially not with Tu and his grandma, so he exited the kitchen in shame. But he was _not_ going to talk to Wu about this. He was going to find another hiding place. A better one. Possibly somewhere underground.

His plan was thwarted by Wu himself appearing in the hallway, dressed in his usual clothes, right in Mako’s way. 

“Mako!” Wu waved at him, as though Mako could possibly have missed him in the otherwise empty hallway.

“Hi, Wu. Can’t talk. Very busy.” Mako hastened his step.

“No, come back! I just wanna talk for a minute. I wanna talk about…what you saw in the gym.”

_Wu. Kissing Tu._ There went the flames in his palms again.

“I don’t really wanna talk about that. It’s your own business.”

“Hey, you told me about all of your kissing stories, right?” Wu joked, his smile a little halfhearted. 

“Yeah, well, I shouldn’t have. All of that was a mistake. We should keep things professional. No more being friend-ish. Goodbye, Wu.”

“Mako, no!” Mako had turned and begun to walk away, but he froze at the genuine anguish in Wu’s voice. “I didn’t mean to make you mad. I don’t even know what I did. I don’t see why you should care if I kiss somebody.”

Mako felt his shoulders instantly tense up, hunching up toward his ears, his muscles freezing like they’d been encased in ice.

“Really, I should be mad at you,” Wu continued softly.

Mako’s frozen anxiety melted swiftly back into anger. “You, mad at _me_? Why?” He balled his fists up.

“Because you’re the one I want to be kissing and you never pay me any attention!” Wu sounded a little angry himself now. “You made me get my first kiss from your cousin when all I wanted was you.”

Mako growled. “I made you? I certainly didn’t force you to let Tu stick his tongue down your throat! You think I wanted that?”

“I don’t know what you want, Mako! I really don’t know!”

“Me neither, okay? I don’t know either.” It felt good to admit his confusion out loud.

“Well, I’ve always wanted you. And you always act like you don’t care about me at all, beyond just not wanting me to die, and _now_ you’re acting jealous?” 

“Well, I didn’t have any reason to be jealous before!”

Wu’s mouth turned up a little at the corners. “But you are now?”

Mako gritted his teeth and said nothing. Jealousy seemed like a pretty good description of how he was feeling, but he didn’t to admit it. It sounded so weak.

“Mako, you should know that you don’t have anything to be jealous of. Do you think I’d ever choose anyone else over you? That kiss with Tu was just… a thing. A weird thing. He’s just my friend. But you…you’re _Mako._ ” He said that like it had some special meaning that should be obvious. H said it the way he said “badgermoles” or “coronation.” 

“I’m Mako?” he echoed hesitantly.

“You’re my dream guy. For me, there’s no one else.”

Mako felt his lips twitch into a smile involuntarily. Why did that feel so good to hear?

“You think I’d ever want to kiss anyone else if I could kiss you?” Wu was stepping closer to him, looking hesitant, but focused, somehow.

“I don’t know, would you?” He asked it lightly, teasing, and Wu smiled.

Wu was right in front of him now. “Never.” He reached up and slowly set his hands onto Mako’s shoulders. “But, you know, I’d have to be able to kiss you. Otherwise, Tu told me I could come to him anytime, and I…”

Mako cut him off with a searing kiss. He really didn’t want to hear any more of _that_.

When Mako pulled back, Wu looked dazed and slumped a little in his arms like he was going to literally swoon, so Mako tightened his grip. “How was that for your second kiss?” he whispered.

“It was actually my third. Tu kissed me twice.”

“Ugh! I’m going to go kill him. Roast his ass alive.” It was all talk. He wasn’t going to do anything that required him to let go of Wu right now. Wu didn’t seem to want to move, either. He was nuzzled up against Mako’s shoulder, rubbing his cheek on his jacket.

“You know, he got my first kisses, but not my first…anything else. I’ve got a lot of firsts left.” He looked up through his thick eyelashes, suggestive, and Mako felt his body burst into heat, the good kind this time. He forced himself to speak logically before he fell back into all the kissing.

“It’s not that I need firsts, Wu. They don’t really matter unless it matters to you. I just…don’t want you with anyone else. I want you with me.”

This time Wu started the kissing, stretching up on tiptoe to reach up to Mako’s mouth. “But I want you to have my firsts,” he mumbled against Mako’s lips when they finally parted. “Firsts…lasts…stuff in the middle. All yours.”

Mako liked the sound of that.

“Let’s go back to our room.” He nipped Mako’s lips, playful.

He liked _that_ even better.


End file.
